Suggested Mobile Apps for Your ESL Students

BusuuThis language-learning app features more than 3,000 words and expressions and covers a wide range of topics through comprehensive vocabulary sections and interactive tests. Levels include beginner to advanced, and it is available for download on iPhone and Android (20 units are free and remaining content is available upon purchase).SpeakingPal English TutorA very entertaining and highly-interactive app, it features a series of mini-lessons of approximately 5 minutes, so students have no excuses when it comes to making the most of idle time. The student interacts with the app through speech recognition software that recreates a real video call. It’s available for download on iPhone or Android for free.VoxyThis is a tremendously popular app, particularly in the Spanish-speaking market. It features news and stories on a variety of topics, and provides games for language practice, plus short quizzes to test comprehension. It can be downloaded for free on iPhone and Android.MyWordBookThis app was developed by the British Council in conjunction with Cambridge University Press and offers a wonderful, engaging way to learn new words through sets of interactive flashcards. Additional vocabulary packs may be downloaded from Cambridge dictionaries. Available for free on iPhone and Android.Conversation EnglishThis app features 20 lessons, each with a video dialogue. The app gives learners the option to read the conversation and then answer questions and complete a variety of exercises. It’s a great app for those who wish to practice more conversational English. It’s available for download on iTunes.English Grammar in Use TestsDeveloped by Cambridge University Press and based on the successful Grammar in Use series, this app allows students to practice English grammar as a series of “tests” that are more akin to games. It’s not free, but it’s one of the best apps for students who want some grammar practice on the go. There is also a complete series of apps based on the Grammar in Use books available for iPhone.IELTS Master Vocabulary GuideThis is the perfect app for students who want to take the Cambridge IELTS examination. It is the perfect complement to the book and helps students prepare for the test by providing plenty of vocabulary practice. It’s available for download on iTunes as well as its other versions for TOEIC, TOEFL, etc…Cambridge Advanced Learners’ Dictionary There is a large variety of dictionary apps available, most of them more affordable than this one (lots are even free!), but this dictionary is certainly more affordable than its print version. Definitely worth the price.Oxford Deluxe Dictionary and Thesaurus of EnglishIt is probably one of the most expensive apps available for English learners, but there are none more comprehensive than this one. This app basically contains the complete Oxford Dictionary, plus the thesaurus, with the added audio feature. It’s ideal for students who have the money to spend and don’t want to carry a big, bulky dictionary around.CloudOn Now you can access all you MS office docs AND edit them on your device. For free I tell you! FREE!! To put the icing on the cake of awesomeness, it also connects to your Dropbox account so you can upload and download the docs you create from your device or any computer! One way to use this app: for students with phones but not laptops, this app allows them to create a document, spreadsheet or PowerPoint on their device and then move it to a friend’s computer via Dropbox. ShowMe With this app you can narrate a picture or some text, etc…and draw on it at the same time. This has a LOT of potential for language teachers! One way to use this app: Combine this with Skitch – annotate the picture or text in Skitch to show all the vocabulary in the picture. Next upload that picture into ShowMe and narrate and pronounce the vocabulary. Download your masterpiece, upload it to YouTube so your students have easy access to it Skitch Oddly named, this app is perfect for making professional-looking annotations on images with classy arrows, text, and writing capabilities. Use this with the ShowMe App and you can create some amazing presentations! Ways to use this app: Make a Vocab map (using ShowMe), annotate the screenshot of a web page to show students where to sign in and register, or annotate student work to show errors or draw attention to strong examples of writing. Evernote This is a note-taking productivity app that is available on all platforms. It allows you to take photos, audio, video, text, etc…and file and organize them. The best thing about it is that it’s searchable, so finding specific things in your “Ooh, that’s interesting” pile is quite painless. Ways to use this app: Take a picture of your test’s answer keys and you’ll never worry about losing them again, Record dictations in Evernote and simply hand your phone to those students those students that missed it, or use it to Archive all those cool bits and pieces you find on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. VoiceThread This is a cool app because it allows you to upload one or more photos/images and then have students comment on it via text, phone, webcam, microphone or document upload. Students can also annotate the photo while they are talking. This all allows for a lot of positive interaction outside of regular classroom time. Ways to use this app: For lower levels, choose a picture that relates to the unit you are studying in class and have students identify various objects in the picture. For higher levels, choose a content-based picture and have them describe what might be happening in the picture. You could also have students make a storyline by uploading more than 1 picture and having everyone add to each other’s images to build stories collaboratively.WordBook XL – English Dictionary & Thesaurus for iPad – This one is by far one of the most elaborate apps for iPad available. It has audio, etymologies, anagrams, synonyms, anagrams, bookmarking, and refrence-saving for ease of use. Worth checking out just for the audio, by the way!

Sentence Builder for iPad – One of the most popular ESL iPad apps available, Sentence Builder is best for younger students (elementary school, mostly) who want to be challenged with grammar and vocabulary. It asks you to build sentences and construct them based on videos and images.Intro to Letters – Another useful one for younger students, Intro to Letters is probably the simplest but effective methods of learning English. It lets you browse through all the letters of the English alphabet and helps you understand what each means, does, and how it’s used by showing you flashcards and puzzles. You can even learn to write the letter thanks to a tracing program. That’s my favorite part!Hello-Hello English – This app-app is great! Couldn’t resist. Hello-Hello English was built in part by The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages so you can count on it being authoritative and useful. It is one of the most useful for helping you earn your stripes in conversational English. In other words, it’s great for actually learning to speak English so you can get around in an English-speaking country. Free to download but courses cost extra.

Berlitz My English Coach for iPad – One of the biggest names in ESL and language learning in general, Berlitz has created the My English Coach for iPad app with all ranges of students in mind. It features phrases, questions, answers, practice chats, history, and geography lessons in an effort to bolster your English skills.Also for Android

Flashcards for Kids – Our popular flashcards app! With over 1,500 images and words, children can begin associating real life objects with the English terminology. This app will allow users to find cards directly from the online server or downloaded directly to the mobile device. Sets of cards can be customized for further targeted studies.

Test Your English I – This free app can help anyone improve English skills at the elementary grade level. Using multiple choice questions, your student can quiz themselves on the foundations of learning the language. This app is geared for ESL, business English, idiomatic expressions, and common errors that others experience learning the language.

ESL Daily English – This app will provide descriptions and download episodes of the podcasts from ESLPod.com. A paid translation service is also available for languages that are not supported directly by the app for less than $1 for up to six months.

Practice English Grammar I – This highly rated and popular download sets the beginner level for learning. With 16 topics to choose from, your child has a vast array of knowledge at his or her fingertips. The app will constantly update its own fresh content in order to keep the app functional for a long time to come.

English Grammar Book – One of the most downloaded English grammar study books on Google Play, this app is loaded with content to learn the language. A wide range of topics including pronouns, verbs, conjunctions and more is present in this free app. However, the add free version is just $0.99.

Learn English with Babbel – This free app has a great amount of functionality for helping those learn the English language. With 3000 words linked with images, children of all ages can learn an association with the word in a visual representation.

Duolingo – Stated as being the best free language learning app by the Wall Street Journal, Duolingo can help virtually anyone learn a variety of languages including English. Improvements are constantly added to the app and many children find it to be a fun way to learn.

Memrise – Another app that can be beneficial for more than just English, this app can work offline and can be integrated with your free personal Memrise.com account.

English Grammar Free – This free app covers six levels from beginner to advanced. Although the app covers the basics of English grammar, you are able to upgrade to the paid version which has more features.

English Grammar Test – Testing your student with three different difficulty levels, he or she can practice English tests and flashcards with ease. Comments and concerns can be returned to the developers in order to help make the app better for future users.